Skin and thyroid dosimetry in cervical spine screening: two methods for evaluation and a comparison between a helical CT and radiographic trauma series.

Objective: The first objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that estimates of radiation dose from an ionization chamber correspond to thermoluminescent dosimeter measurements in patients with suspected cervical spine injury. The second objective was to compare the radiation dose of a protocol using helical CT of the entire cervical spine with that of a protocol using radiography alone.

Subjects And Methods: Thermoluminescent dosimeter measurements of radiation dose to the skin over the thyroid were made in two patient groups: six patients evaluated with CT of the cervical spine and six patients evaluated with radiography.